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cate_with_a_c's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.0
Somehow easier than some of her others. Very interesting and sad.
snvankuiken's review against another edition
3.0
Ann Rule is a phenomenal writer, but this was probably 200 pages longer than it needed to be. It might also feel that way due to knowing Cunningham was guilty from the start, which made the hundreds of pages about his life and years after the murder so unbearable.
gothamgal's review against another edition
4.0
Ann Rule is pretty much the top of the barrel when it comes to true crime. I was excited to finally read this book, however it took much longer than anticipated.
Cheryl is married to Brad Cunningham. The two have three amazing young sons and while they are very combatant, each tries to do their best to leave the children out of their fights and acrimonious divorce. Sara, Brad's girlfriend, tries to do what she can, but ends up doing much of the financial work of the relationship while Brad is an entrepreneur/stay at home dad once he loses his executive-level job at a bank.
When Cheryl shows up dead in a vehicle rolling into traffic, no one is certain who may have killed her, but anyone who knew Cheryl and spoke with her in the last few weeks of her life knows Brad is behind it. That's anyone who Brad isn't lying to. However, when more information comes to light, causing Brad to go underground, the only real victims seem to be his children and those who loved Cheryl... And there's one lawyer who doggedly attempts to find Brad and take him to court.
I enjoyed this much more than I anticipated, however it took a REALLY long time to read it. Mostly because the information was so heavy and I wanted to make sure I did not miss anything.
Cheryl is married to Brad Cunningham. The two have three amazing young sons and while they are very combatant, each tries to do their best to leave the children out of their fights and acrimonious divorce. Sara, Brad's girlfriend, tries to do what she can, but ends up doing much of the financial work of the relationship while Brad is an entrepreneur/stay at home dad once he loses his executive-level job at a bank.
When Cheryl shows up dead in a vehicle rolling into traffic, no one is certain who may have killed her, but anyone who knew Cheryl and spoke with her in the last few weeks of her life knows Brad is behind it. That's anyone who Brad isn't lying to. However, when more information comes to light, causing Brad to go underground, the only real victims seem to be his children and those who loved Cheryl... And there's one lawyer who doggedly attempts to find Brad and take him to court.
I enjoyed this much more than I anticipated, however it took a REALLY long time to read it. Mostly because the information was so heavy and I wanted to make sure I did not miss anything.
linddykal's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended to fans of the podcast/mini series Dirty John. Very similar story.
dsgirl4987's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good read. It was disturbing, as all true crime books are, but I enjoyed it. I always enjoy anything written by Ann Rule.
lamiah's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so difficult to read for long periods of time. It was a frustrating story and the only reprieve is that justice was indeed served. I did like this book very much although I do think it is a little bit too drawn out for my liking.
cheesedance's review against another edition
5.0
THE BOOK that made me fascinated (and horrified) by true crime. There's also an excellent made for tv movie (apparently not an oxymoron) that holds up after the years. The movie made me read the book, and shortly after, I was reading everything I could get my hands on about violence against women, the epidemic of domestic violence, and men who kill and harm women. Shortly after THAT, I began reading feminist literature. So this book not only began my interest in true crime, but also made me a feminist. This book changed my life.
It has been ages since I've read it, but I remember the characters making such a deep impression upon me. Ann Rule certainly painted a vivid portrait of the characters lives, and deeply detailed the legal process of holding Brad accountable for his crime. My old paperback copy has notes written in the margins about how much I liked Cheryl and how appalled I was at Brad. I remember walking away with a keen insight into how razor thin the margin of justice could be. It's been ages, but knowing how much this book changed me, I'm confident in my five star rating.
It has been ages since I've read it, but I remember the characters making such a deep impression upon me. Ann Rule certainly painted a vivid portrait of the characters lives, and deeply detailed the legal process of holding Brad accountable for his crime. My old paperback copy has notes written in the margins about how much I liked Cheryl and how appalled I was at Brad. I remember walking away with a keen insight into how razor thin the margin of justice could be. It's been ages, but knowing how much this book changed me, I'm confident in my five star rating.
elleinadarat's review against another edition
5.0
Another book to make me never want to date again, this one with a murder that took place about 7 minutes from where I live. This book was engaging, impossible yet possible, and sent me into a Wikipedia, Google, Zillow, drive through the neighborhoods where everything happened kind of wormhole. I just need to track down the Lifetime movie now to really solidify everything in my head.